In-Country Adoptions

The Government has put in place a centralized online system CARINGS (Child Adoption Resource Information and Guidance System) to facilitate adoption in the Country with effect from 1.08.2015. Prior to introduction of CARINGS, the adoption agencies placed the children directly with Prospective Adoptive Patents(PAPs) registered with them. The details of In-country Adoptions (year-wise & gender-wise) from 2010 to 2015-2016as provided by States/UTs to CARA are enclosed at Annexure-I. Details of In-country Adoptions (year-wise, age-wise & gender-wise) from 2017-2018 to 2020-2021 (as on 03/02/2021) are enclosed at Annexure-II.

The number of infants below the age of three months adopted during 2016-2017 to 2020-2021 (as on 03/02/2021) is 725.

As per section 38 of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015, the orphaned and abandoned children are required to be declared legally free for adoption within 02 months in case of a child upto the age of two years and within 04 months in case of a child above the age of two years, after following the due procedure. Further, the surrendered children are required to be declared legally free for adoption after 02 months (reconsideration period) from the date of surrender of the child.

This information was given by the Union Minister of Women and Child Development, Smt. Smriti Zubin Irani, in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha today.